The Pentagon Wants to Make an Army of Virus-Spreading Insects. Scientists Are Concerned.

.livescience.com ^ | October 5, 2018 12:57pm ET | Brandon Specktor

[BenLurkin]

Pentagon research project called "Insect Allies." Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project involves using gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to infect insects with modified viruses that could help make America's crops more resilient. If a cornfield were hit by an unexpected drought or suddenly exposed to a pathogen, for example, Insect Allies might deploy an army of aphids carrying a genetically modified virus to slow the corn plant's growth rate.

According to the DARPA website, these "targeted therapies" could take effect in a single growing season, potentially protecting the American crop system from food security threats like disease, flooding, frost and even "threats introduced by state or non-state actors.

… Insect Allies, is less concerned. "Anytime you're developing a new and revolutionary technology, there is that potential for [both offensive and defensive] capability," Bextine told The Washington Post. "But that is not what we are doing. We are delivering positive traits to plants… We want to make sure we ensure food security, because food security is national security in our eyes."

Insect Allies is still in the early stages of development, and at least four U.S. colleges (Boyce Thompson Institute, Penn State University, The Ohio State University and the University of Texas at Austin)have received funding to carry out research. Bextine told The Washington Post that the project recently achieved its first milestone — testing whether an aphid could infect a stalk of corn with a designer virus that caused fluorescence. According to the Washington Post, "the corn glowed."

[Tax-chick]

Van is washed. No science team meeting today. I watched a driver safety video and got a certificate from the church’s insurance company so I can drive the youth group tomorrow.

[Monkey Face]

True. In theory. But I can switch to A/V, HDMI I, II, and III, YPbPr, and PC. I don’t know what YPbPr is, and I think PC is Personal Computer. The others are, to me, self-explanatory. Nevertheless, no matter what I choose, the DVD player doesn’t work. Faulty DVD player? I just tossed two of them because I knew they had outlived their usefulness. I wore them out.

[Monkey Face]

Well! That’s encouraging! It’s always good to be a trusted driver for any group!

[Tax-chick]

Except that they want you to drive all the time!

James is finishing up baking some cookies for tonight’s Cub Scout bake sale. Then I’ll be able to nap with Jake. It’s raining again, and I’m still super annoyed.

[Silentgypsy]

Soooooo beautiful! Thank you for searching and posting joy and beauty each day!

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you for first guffaw of day! (Maybe it reminds me of my own parenting skills—no, not maybe, definitely.)

[Silentgypsy]

You’re telling me.... Happy Friday, y’all, and have a grand weekend!

[Monkey Face]

Yes, I thought about that, followed very closely by. “Well, she made it sound like she wanted to do it, so...”

[Monkey Face]

*tagline*

[ArGee]

Cables fail. Inputs on the TV fail. But I suspect the cable company isn’t the cause.

[ArGee]

So, would that be GOL?

[Tax-chick]

‘Face’s older brother in Arizona has passed away.

[Silentgypsy]

Yes, thank you very much.

[NoCmpromiz]

[moose07]

10-4

[moose07]

There is. Work a night shift.
You start the day by going to bed. :)

[sparklite2]

And you can sleep as long as you want.
I loved working nights.

[NoCmpromiz]

Rumor has it that is what Darksheare does..

[Tax-chick]

[Monkey Face]

OK. Then it’s Operator Error. Thanks. Or, the DVD players were a lot worse than I thought.